Now, For the Recent Past

Commissioned by the University of Northern Iowa

The second time the University of Northern Iowa invited me to participate in its Vertigo performance art festival, I was living in New York City.

Having grown up on a farm in Indiana, I know well the contrasts between urban and rural, and wanted to bring something meaningful from the city to the country. What could be more meaningful than moments from my life?

For several months before the performance, I lived my normal New York life while carrying test tubes and a notebook. Every time something worthwhile occurred, I ‘captured’ a few seconds in a test tube, then quickly capped and recorded the details. Some moments were mundane (eating lunch at my desk, walking my dog across the Brooklyn Bridge), others extraordinary (witnessing the frenzy outside Heath Ledger’s apartment when he died, standing atop the Empire State Building).

A thousand miles west, in the Waterloo Arts Center, I pulled a wagon into the gallery loaded with dozens of minutes of my East Coast experiences. After a brief explanation, I directed attendees to read through the Master List of Moments, all carefully numbered. Everyone was invited to choose a moment, then come to the podium to claim. I wrote the recipient’s name on each and added my signature.

All unclaimed test tubes were rolled up in a tarp, which I smashed with a sledgehammer to release, then tossed into the dumpster out back. The wagon and a copy of the Master List became part of the art center’s collection.

photos by Jeffery Byrd